Eye of the Dragon
by BookSmartBrilliance
Summary: When the trio is separated for their own safety, Ron is sent to Romania to help Charlie on the Dragon Reserve. There Ron finds out the true meaning of courage, strength and brotherhood. Will he be able to prove himself to his toughest critic: Himself?


**Title: **Eye of the Dragon 

**Author: **Audrey (booksmartbrilliance@msn.com) 

**Rating: **PG 

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. 

**Summary: **When the trio is separated for their own safety, Ron is sent to Romania to help Charlie on the Dragon Reserve.  There Ron finds out the true meaning of courage, strength and brotherhood.  Will he be able to prove himself to his toughest critic: Himself?

**A/N: **I know, I know…I have so many other stories going.  Okay, so two…and one of which I haven't touched in a couple of months, but I could not ignore this story.  It demanded to be written, no matter how shoddily.  Please review, it's a labor of love!  And no worries, this is NOT an incest story.  Promise!  Ick!

I borrowed the title from the awesome book written by Stephen King.  Go read it if you haven't!  You'll _love it!_

* * * * *

He was running down a dark corridor.  He was running from something behind him, but what was even more important was what he was running towards.  Harry needed him, he could feel it, and he could almost hear his voice calling him in the stillness that surrounded him.  He pushed his legs until they felt like jelly and his lungs were burning for air, but the tunnel always seemed to get longer and longer.  The thing that was chasing him was catching up.  He heard its uneven breaths and it's pounding feet as it grew closer and closer.  Another minute and it would have him.  He shuddered as it called his name, "Ron."  He tried to run faster, but he stumbled and fell to the ground.  

            "Ron!"  

            Ron's eyes snapped open to find his brother, Charlie, shaking him so hard his teeth clattered.

`           Charlie stopped shaking him and let go of his shoulders as he frowned down at him.  "You were dreaming again."

            "Sorry," Ron mumbled as he fell back to his pillow.  He tried to ignore the stares from their other roommates.

            "That's the fourth time this week," Charlie whispered.  "Is everything all right?"

            "I'm fine," Ron said turning away from him.  "It's just a bad dream."

            "Ron," Charlie whispered, "do you want to talk about it?"

            That was the last thing he wanted to talk about.

            "Look," Ron said rolling in the bunk bed to look at Charlie.  "I'll sleep somewhere else if it's such a bother."

            "Ron, you know that's not what I'm saying," Charlie said, frowning at him.  His eyes softened a bit, "What I'm saying is that you've had a rough time of things, if you need to talk…"

            "What I need," Ron said loudly, throwing his feet over the side of the bed, "is for you to just leave me alone.  Bloody Hell, Charlie, you're worse than Mum."

            There was the sound of snickers from the other side of the room.  Charlie wasn't fazed by them though as he watched Ron hop off the top bunk and slide on his shoes.  "Where are you going?"

            "Outside," Ron snapped, "Maybe then I'll get some peace and quiet."  He slammed the door behind him before Charlie could say anything else.  He began walking quickly away from the encampment, knowing only too well that Charlie would come after him.  The cool breeze did little to dissipate the temper that had risen to warm his cheeks.  He knew he wasn't being logical, but when had he ever been logical?  Hermione was the level-headed one.  If she were here, maybe he wouldn't have lost it like that.  But she wasn't here.  He didn't know where she was, he didn't know if she was all right, and he didn't know when he was going to see her again.  He spotted a rock lying in the middle of the path and kicked it as hard as he could, only to have his toe bounce off it painfully.  

"Oh, bloody hell!"  He yelled hopping on one foot and trying to inspect the damage done.  

"Serves you right, you know?" Charlie said from behind.  

Ron scowled in his direction as he tried to limp forward.  "Charlie, just leave me alone."

Charlie easily caught up to him.  "Where are you going?"

"North."

"North, huh?"  Charlie asked walking beside him, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Ron asked stopping to glare at him.

"No," Charlie said shaking his head and shrugging.  "You might though, considering you're walking South."

Ron clenched his jaw.  "I don't want to talk about it, alright?  Just leave me alone and stop acting like you're scared to me out of your sight.  It's driving me absolutely mad."

"All right," Charlie said giving a small sigh.  "I'll back off.  It's just…" he paused not sure what to say next.  "Look, I now you don't want to be here, Ron.  You've made that really obvious.  I know you're angry and worried and you feel like you're all alone out here…but you're not.  I may not be Harry or Hermione, or Mum or Dad, but I'm here."

"Yeah, I know," Ron said looking down at the ground.

"All right, then," Charlie said slapping him on the back.  "I'll see you at breakfast then?"

Ron nodded and Charlie turned and walked the way they had come.  Ron didn't move and watched him disappear over the hill.  He refused to let himself feel bad for getting so cross with Charlie.  It was the truth, he was acting like he was afraid to let him out of his sight.  Ron felt like he was being babysat.  Actually, if he was honest with himself, it was much worse than that.  He felt like he was in some sort of prison.  Here he was stuck in bloody Romania on a Dragon Reserve, unable to do magic, unable to leave or talk to his best friends.  It was like he was being punished, though he hadn't done anything wrong. 

Charlie could act like he knew what he felt like, but he didn't really.  When Charlie had been sixteen he had been the Quidditch Star.  His biggest problem had been choosing which girl he wanted to out with first.  Ron only dreamed of having those kind of problems.  Actually, his dreams were haunted by problems that hit much closer to home.  He was always being chased by something evil, and he was always running behind when it came to helping Harry.  Charlie didn't know what it felt like to be sixteen and to be in hiding from the Dark Lord.  He didn't know what it felt like to always have your stomach in knots and to be worrying about your best friends, about your family, about the future of the wizarding world.  He didn't know what it was like to have adult problems and to still be treated like a kid.  

They had told Ron that he was being sent to Charlie for his own safety.  After the attack on Hogsmeade, Dumbledore had decided it was best if Harry, Hermione and Ron were separated and sent to different hiding places.  No one knew their locations except for Dumbledore himself.  Ron didn't know when he was going to see his friends again.  In fact, he didn't even know what was going on in the Wizarding world.  Had there been more attacks?  Was Hogwarts safe?  He had already lost one good friend in the war, was there more that had been lost?  Romania was so remote that he might as well be on Mars.  How did Charlie manage here all year round?  

            He was so sick and tired of being scared.  He was tired of the knots in his stomach and he was tired of always imagining the worse case scenario whenever Charlie got an owl from Dumbledore.  He was just tired of hiding.  He wanted to fight back.

            Fat chance of that when he was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

            Ron made his way further up the hill and looked down on the encampment below him.  He sat down and put his chin on his knees feeling very small and lost.  He wondered what Harry was doing and if he was with Sirius.  He knew it was probably unlikely because Sirius was doing important work for Dumbledore, but it didn't stop him from feeling a pang of jealousy.  At least if he was with Sirius he was probably having more fun than Ron was.  His thoughts traveled to his other best friend, Hermione.  He knew exactly what she was doing…studying most likely.  He hoped she and her family were somewhere safe. 

Below him he could see the lights coming on in the few buildings below.  He got up slowly and made his way to the kitchen the Dragon Keepers shared.  

"Morning, Ron," Mark said as he fixed breakfast.  "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," Ron said sitting at the large table.  

"Well, it can't be easy with your brother's snoring," Mark said grinning at him before being distracted by the eggs.

"I heard that," Charlie said walking in from the bathroom.  He had a towel wrapped around his neck and was toweling off his short red hair.  

"Like a bloody chainsaw," Mark said imitating the noise. "Why do you think I had to request another room?"

Ron couldn't help but smile a bit.  Mark was another Dragon Keeper.  Ron liked him because he wasn't as serious minded as some of the other Keepers, at least Mark had a sense of humor.  He was also a bit younger than the rest at twenty-two and closest to Ron in age.

The outside door opened and a dark haired woman in her mid twenties entered the kitchen.  She slid off the large boots that the Keepers wore over their regular shoes and took off the dragon hide gloves before coming to sit at the table.

"Hey, Nat," Charlie said, "Did you spend all night with the Swedish Short-Snout again?"

Natalie looked at him and gave a tired smile, "I did.  Tonight, however, I'm going to spend in my own bed.  Those eggs finally hatched and we can move them to the nursery pen.::

"Any problems?" Charlie asked leaning over the table.  Ron rolled his eyes.  It was so obvious that Natalie was crazy about Charlie, but all he cared about was the dragons.  

Natalie shook her head, "No, it went pretty smoothly.  We're looking at three females and one male."

"What did you name them?" Mark asked, setting the food down in front of them.  

"I named the girls Hannah, Marilyn and Gladys.  I haven't decided on a name for the boy yet."

"Hagrid," Ron said softly, causing the three Keepers to look up at him.  "You should name it Hagrid.  He was mad about dragons."

There was a moment of silence and then Ron pushed his plate away and left the table without a word.

Charlie sighed and rubbed his eyes.  

            Natalie reached over and put her hand on his arm.  "He's taking it hard, isn't he?"

            Charlie nodded, "They all are.  They were really close to Hagrid."

Charlie sighed, looking at his friends for help, "He keeps having these nightmares, and he's so angry… I mean, Ron has always had a short temper, but it's more than that.  I just don't know what to do."

            "You can't do anything, mate," Mark said seriously.  "This is something he has to get through on his own.'

Charlie shook his head sadly, "I guess so.  I just wish I knew what to say."

"Sometimes," Natalie said softly, "words just aren't enough."

"You know, somehow that doesn't really comfort me much," Charlie said.

Natalie smiled, "No, I guess not, but you aren't really the one in need of comforting are you?"

"Hey, if you guys are going to be comforting, I think I should leave.  I'm not really the voyeur type,:: Mark said grinning.  "I'm more of a hands-on type of guy."  

Natalie threw a piece of toast at him, "Oh, shut it."

"Charlie, I got it!" Mark said, his eyes lighting up.  "I know what will cheer Ron up.  Let's take him with us when we go to pick up that wild Chinese Fireball."

"I don't know," Charlie said frowning.  "I'm not sure if Dumbledore would approve of him leaving the Reserve."

"Come on," Mark said flashing him a smile, "You'll be there keeping an eye out for him.  What's the worst that could happen?

* * * * *

 A/N:  Well, there's chapter one.  Don't worry this is just the beginning.  Much, much, much more to come.  Please review!


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